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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bore — to tire
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. field — a subject
  6. track — a song
  7. net — for catching
  8. track — a path
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. net — in sport
  12. track — to keep track
  13. present — there
  14. field — farmland
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. charge — in control
  21. net — after costs
  22. charge — electricity
  23. field — for sport
  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