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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 116 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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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: ball · straw · fall · charge · fan · rule · bay · key

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. charge — a price
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. ball — a great time
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rule — a law
  9. fall — to drop
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fall — the season
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. key — in music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rule — government
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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