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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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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: key · charge · toast · arm · straw · file · bowl · clip

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. key — for a lock
  5. clip — a video
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. file — a document
  12. charge — electricity
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. key — in music
  19. toast — bread
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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