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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. last — final
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. firm — steady
  14. last — to go on
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. firm — decided
  17. last — finally
  18. pitch — completely
  19. firm — a company
  20. charge — electricity
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. charge — in control
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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