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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bound — certain
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cell — in biology
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. charge — a price
  15. mark — a grade
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. charge — in control
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  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