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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — certain
  6. charge — a price
  7. rest — a break
  8. rock — music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ball — a great time
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bound — tied together
  17. ball — a dance
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rest — what's left
  21. charge — in control
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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