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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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468
Word bank
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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. charge — a price
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mug — a face
  7. cap — of ice
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cap — a hat
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mug — to rob
  12. charge — in control
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cell — a phone
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mug — a cup
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cell — in biology

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