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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 120 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. shower — to wash
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. file — a document
  8. charge — electricity
  9. shower — rain
  10. file — a line of people
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fine — all right
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fine — high quality
  19. charge — in control
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lie — to recline
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. file — a tool
  24. straw — a straw man

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