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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. charge — in control
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mate — a partner
  5. chest — a box
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. charge — a price
  12. mate — a friend
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. chest — of your body
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fork — a garden tool

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