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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. hand — help
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. charge — in control
  6. lean — to bend
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rule — a law
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. craft — a skill
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. craft — boats
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — government
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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