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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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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: pit · wave · straw · charge · hide · land · temple · chair

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. charge — electricity
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. land — ground
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. land — to come down
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. charge — in control
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. charge — a price
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. land — a country
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pit — a hole
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. straw — dry grass

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