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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.

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: pop · land · wave · chair · straw · bore · lean · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pop — soda
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pop — music
  9. land — a country
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. lean — thin
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. land — ground
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. land — to come down
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pop — to visit

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