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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chest — of your body
  6. toast — bread
  7. root — the cause
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. charge — in control
  12. root — of a plant
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fine — high quality
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. chest — a box
  17. root — of a word
  18. fine — all right
  19. shower — rain
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. shower — to wash
  22. charge — a price
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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