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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. land — ground
  3. suit — clothes
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. craft — boats
  6. drill — the tool
  7. land — to come down
  8. pop — to visit
  9. charge — in control
  10. pop — music
  11. craft — a skill
  12. suit — to fit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. land — a country
  18. charge — a price
  19. kick — in football
  20. drill — army training
  21. charge — electricity
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. suit — in cards

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