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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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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: charge · dip · kick · bound · straw · cap · content · temple

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bound — obliged
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. content — the amount
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. dip — to sink
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bound — certain
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. content — happy
  14. cap — of ice
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. charge — a price
  17. kick — in football
  18. bound — tied together
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cap — a hat
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cap — a lid
  24. charge — in control

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