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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. file — a tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lean — to bend
  6. charge — a price
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cell — a phone
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lean — thin
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cell — in biology
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. jam — a tight spot

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