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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. track — a path
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bore — to tire
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. track — a song
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bore — to drill
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bound — tied together
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. charge — in control
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bound — obliged
  22. clip — a video
  23. bound — certain
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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