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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: temple · chair · stick · straw · cabinet · leaves · drill · season

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. season — of the year
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. season — in sport
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. drill — a practice
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chair — a leader
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cabinet — ministers

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