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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. snap — to click
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. deal — to handle
  5. charge — electricity
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. can — to be able to
  11. capital — money
  12. bound — obliged
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bound — certain
  15. can — a tin
  16. capital — a city
  17. can — a tin
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. charge — a price
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bound — tied together
  24. kid — to tease

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