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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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. file — a document
  3. rest — what's left
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. charge — in control
  6. file — a tool
  7. rest — a break
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rest — what's left
  11. charge — electricity
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. court — for sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. court — of a king
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. deal — to handle
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. charge — a price

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