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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: charge · bound · object · mug · straw · snap · cabinet · mate

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. snap — to click
  3. mate — a friend
  4. object — an aim
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bound — certain
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. charge — a price
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. object — a thing
  14. charge — in control
  15. object — to protest
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mug — a face
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mug — a cup

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