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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rock — a stone
  4. row — a line
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. charge — electricity
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — in control
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. row — to paddle
  24. staff — employees

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