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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. charge — in control
  3. lie — to recline
  4. file — a line of people
  5. field — farmland
  6. file — a document
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — a price
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a tool
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cue — a hint
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cue — a signal
  21. field — for sport
  22. charge — electricity
  23. field — a subject
  24. straw — a straw man

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