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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bear — the animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. charge — a price
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wind — moving air
  11. charge — in control
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wind — moving air
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fork — in a road

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