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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — a price
  5. fall — to drop
  6. charge — in control
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. suit — to fit
  12. tube — a container
  13. mate — to breed
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fall — the season
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fan — to cool the air

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