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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. charge — a price
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. object — an aim
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. last — finally
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. object — a thing
  19. charge — in control
  20. last — to go on
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. object — to protest

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