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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 120 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. charge — in control
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cue — a hint
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mug — a cup
  10. spring — the season
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mug — a face
  13. cue — a signal
  14. spring — of water
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lie — to recline
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bulb — for light
  22. charge — a price
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mug — to rob

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