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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · mate · craft · lean · snap · chest · charge · straw

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. craft — boats
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. snap — to click
  7. craft — a skill
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chest — of your body
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lean — thin
  19. chest — a box
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. charge — a price
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. chest — of your body

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