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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. charge — a price
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. march — the month
  9. cell — in biology
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — help
  14. bore — to drill
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cell — a phone
  18. saw — the tool
  19. march — music
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. march — the month
  24. bore — to tire

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