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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — in control
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. track — a path
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. track — a song
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. prune — to trim
  19. row — a line
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. last — final
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. track — to keep track
  24. row — to paddle

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