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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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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. charge — in control
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — government
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pit — in a race
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. content — happy
  15. rule — a law
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. charge — electricity
  18. content — the amount
  19. charge — a price
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. arm — part of the body

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