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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. saw — the tool
  9. last — final
  10. tear — to rip
  11. last — to go on
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spell — a short time
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. last — finally
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. tear — from crying
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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