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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wake — a trail
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. club — for golf
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rock — a stone
  12. charge — in control
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. club — a group
  17. rock — music
  18. leaves — lets stay

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