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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 124 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. kick — in football
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mate — a partner
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mate — to breed
  17. charge — a price
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — to recline
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mate — a friend
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. craft — a skill

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