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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. lean — thin
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. charge — a price

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