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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mug — a face
  5. file — a tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bank — for money
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pop — music
  12. mark — a trace
  13. file — a line of people
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pop — to visit
  17. file — a document
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. charge — a price
  20. pop — soda
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mark — a grade

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