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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. staff — a stick
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. staff — employees
  7. charge — electricity
  8. staff — employees
  9. charge — a price
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. saw — the tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. saw — the tool
  19. snap — to click
  20. charge — in control
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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