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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. wind — moving air
  3. court — of law
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. charge — electricity
  11. court — of a king
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. season — in sport
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. season — of the year
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pound — a weight
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. court — for sport
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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