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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. charge — electricity
  3. object — an aim
  4. cell — a phone
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wind — moving air
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ground — a position
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. object — a thing
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cell — in biology
  20. deal — to handle
  21. object — to protest
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. ground — crushed
  24. suit — to fit

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