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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bound — tied together
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bound — certain
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. charge — a price
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cell — a phone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rock — a stone
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rock — music
  24. straw — dry grass

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