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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 drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rest — what's left
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chair — a leader
  6. charge — a price
  7. rock — a stone
  8. season — in sport
  9. current — electric
  10. cue — a signal
  11. current — happening now
  12. season — of the year
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. charge — in control
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rest — a break
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cue — a hint
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. current — of water
  23. rock — music
  24. chair — a professorship

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