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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pitch — completely
  4. charge — in control
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rest — what's left
  7. present — the time now
  8. file — a line of people
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. charge — a price
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rest — what's left
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. present — a gift
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. dip — to sink
  17. present — there
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rest — a break
  21. file — a document
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mate — a partner
  24. dip — to dunk

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