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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. suit — to fit
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ball — a great time
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a dance
  10. content — the amount
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. spell — magic
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. charge — in control
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. spell — letters

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