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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. charge — in control
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. charge — a price
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. suit — clothes
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fall — the season
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. suit — to fit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. charge — electricity
  24. suit — in cards

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