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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. charge — in control
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. saw — the tool
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wind — moving air
  9. saw — the tool
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rock — music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. content — happy
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rock — a stone
  18. charge — a price
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. content — the amount

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