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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. drill — the tool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. drill — army training
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. dip — to sink
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. row — a line
  19. charge — a price
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — a practice
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stem — to come from

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