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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bound — tied together
  3. charge — in control
  4. net — for catching
  5. bound — certain
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. net — after costs
  15. last — to go on
  16. ball — a dance
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — electricity
  19. last — finally
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bear — the animal
  23. net — in sport
  24. last — final

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