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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.

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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: tear · chest · bank · mug · temple · straw · staff · charge

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chest — a box
  3. bank — for money
  4. tear — from crying
  5. charge — a price
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mug — a cup
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mug — a face
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. charge — in control
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. charge — electricity
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chest — of your body
  22. staff — a stick
  23. tear — to rip
  24. temple — a place of worship

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