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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bore — to tire
  6. fine — all right
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. charge — a price
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. charge — in control
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. charge — electricity

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