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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. season — in sport
  5. charge — in control
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mate — a friend
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pound — a weight
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mate — to breed
  22. season — of the year
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mouse — for a computer

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