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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 124 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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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: straw · bank · temple · drill · plane · deal · tear · chair

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bank — for money
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. plane — a tool
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bank — of a river
  10. drill — a practice
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. deal — to handle
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. drill — army training
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. tear — to rip
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bank — for money
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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