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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. charge — a price
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chair — a leader
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mug — a face
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. club — for golf
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. charge — in control
  16. mug — a cup
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. club — a group
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. club — for dancing

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