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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. charge — a price
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — a series
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. charge — in control
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stand — to bear
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bear — the animal
  23. squash — to crush
  24. temple — a place of worship

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