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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. last — finally
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chest — of your body
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. tube — a container
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. charge — a price
  14. last — final
  15. chest — a box
  16. charge — electricity
  17. tube — the underground
  18. last — to go on
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. chest — of your body
  21. charge — in control
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. season — of the year
  24. racket — for tennis

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