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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.

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: chair · current · cabinet · bore · temple · shower · straw · bowl

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. current — of water
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. shower — rain
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. shower — to wash
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. current — electric
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bore — to drill
  22. current — happening now
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bore — to tire

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