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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: wake · charge · lean · bay · chair · cell · straw · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. charge — in control
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. lean — thin
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. charge — a price
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lean — to bend

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