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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. charge — in control
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bear — the animal
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. last — finally
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. charge — a price
  14. key — the most important part
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. chest — of your body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. last — final
  24. charge — electricity

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