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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mark — a grade
  3. charge — in control
  4. fall — to drop
  5. charge — a price
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. staff — employees
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rule — a law
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fall — the season
  12. staff — employees
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rule — government
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tube — a container
  23. staff — a stick
  24. perch — for a bird

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