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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · mine · temple · straw · bay · lie · season · charge

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. charge — a price
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. season — of the year
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. season — in sport
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mine — for digging
  19. charge — in control
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lie — to recline
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com