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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: straw · charge · board · temple · bear · net · sharp · face

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. face — part of the head
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. charge — a price
  15. face — to point toward
  16. charge — electricity
  17. face — to confront
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. charge — in control
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — for catching
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. board — a committee

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