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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. key — for a lock
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. charge — in control
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bear — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. key — in music
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. key — the most important part
  21. hand — help
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. hand — in cards

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