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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 124 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rush — hurry
  3. charge — in control
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mate — to breed
  9. staff — employees
  10. charge — a price
  11. lie — to recline
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. staff — a stick
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. staff — employees
  20. chip — to eat
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. chip — in a computer

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