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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. drill — a practice
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. charge — in control
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bass — low music
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bass — the fish
  20. drill — army training
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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