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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spell — letters
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rule — government
  6. spell — magic
  7. charge — a price
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rule — a law
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. charge — electricity
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. charge — in control
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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