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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: cap · bore · toast · bound · foot · cold · chair · straw

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cold — not warm
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bound — tied together
  6. chair — a leader
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bound — obliged
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cold — an illness
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. toast — bread
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bound — certain
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cap — a hat

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