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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. squash — the sport
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bat — the animal
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. charge — in control
  15. saw — the tool
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rule — government
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bulb — for light

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