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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. net — after costs
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. current — of water
  7. charge — a price
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. current — electric
  11. charge — electricity
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bass — low music
  14. net — for catching
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pass — a permit
  20. current — happening now
  21. net — in sport
  22. charge — in control
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. safe — a strongbox

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