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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. saw — the tool
  3. current — of water
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. charge — a price
  10. content — the amount
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. current — happening now
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. charge — electricity
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. content — happy
  23. current — electric
  24. charge — in control

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