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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. charge — in control
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rash — hasty
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rash — a series
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rest — a break
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. charge — a price
  22. rest — what's left
  23. plane — a tool
  24. straw — dry grass

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