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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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468
Word bank
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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. can — to be able to
  4. charge — a price
  5. fork — in a road
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. charge — electricity
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mate — a friend
  12. charge — in control
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. can — a tin
  22. mate — to breed
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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