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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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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. charge — electricity
  5. saw — the tool
  6. firm — steady
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mine — for digging
  11. charge — a price
  12. bound — tied together
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bound — certain
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. charge — in control
  20. firm — a company
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. firm — decided
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wind — moving air

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