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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. drill — a practice
  3. can — a tin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. face — part of the head
  6. charge — electricity
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. can — to be able to
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wake — a trail
  11. charge — a price
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — in control
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. drill — army training
  17. board — to get on
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. board — a committee
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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