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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. charge — a price
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. spell — letters
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. spell — a short time
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. charge — electricity
  16. spell — magic
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. charge — in control
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cue — a signal

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