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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — electricity
  6. staff — employees
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. board — to get on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. staff — employees
  16. sharp — clever
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. board — a committee
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fall — the season
  23. pound — a weight
  24. staff — a stick

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