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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rule — a law
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bank — of a river
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bank — for money
  10. ball — a great time
  11. charge — a price
  12. rule — government
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bank — for money
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. branch — a division
  17. ball — a dance
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pit — a hole

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