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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — to come from
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wind — moving air
  9. charge — a price
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cue — a signal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. can — to be able to
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cue — a hint
  17. can — a tin
  18. track — a path
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. track — a song

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