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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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. straw — a straw man
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. board — a committee
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. charge — a price
  21. board — to get on
  22. spring — the season
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pass — a permit

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