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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. ground — crushed
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — for money
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. ground — the earth
  16. charge — a price
  17. ground — a position
  18. kick — in football
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. charge — electricity
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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