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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. dip — to sink
  3. shower — rain
  4. last — to go on
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. prune — to trim
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. shower — to wash
  9. charge — in control
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. charge — a price
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. prune — to trim
  18. last — final
  19. pass — a permit
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stand — to bear
  22. last — finally
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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