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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: bear · staff · rush · straw · charge · mark · wind · arm

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mark — a trace
  4. staff — employees
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bear — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wind — moving air
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. rush — a thrill

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