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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: mug · bear · temple · cabinet · drill · rule · straw · bowl

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bear — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mug — a cup
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rule — a law
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bear — the animal
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rule — government
  24. drill — army training

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