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

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. charge — electricity
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. can — to be able to
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. can — a tin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. charge — a price
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stand — to bear
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. charge — in control
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. scale — in music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. coach — a trainer

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