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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — to bear
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rock — a stone
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rock — music
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. charge — in control
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rest — what's left
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. charge — a price
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pound — a weight
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rest — a break
  24. rock — to move gently

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