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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · lie · object · season · cold · charge · pitcher · chair

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. object — a thing
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. season — in sport
  7. object — to protest
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. object — an aim
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cold — an illness
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cold — not warm
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — a price
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. season — of the year

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