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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. charge — a price
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. hand — help
  5. cell — a phone
  6. charge — electricity
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. charge — in control
  12. face — to confront
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. suit — clothes
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cell — in biology
  18. dip — to sink
  19. face — to point toward
  20. club — for golf
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hand — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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