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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. charge — electricity
  3. saw — the tool
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mate — a partner
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pop — music
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pop — to visit
  12. shower — rain
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mate — a friend
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. shower — to wash
  19. charge — a price
  20. pop — soda
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. charge — in control
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. hide — animal skin

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