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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cap — a lid
  7. ball — a dance
  8. charge — a price
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ball — a great time
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cue — for pool
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lie — to recline
  15. club — for golf
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cue — a hint
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. club — for dancing
  22. charge — in control
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. club — a group

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