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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: can · charge · snap · ball · lie · cabinet · dip · straw

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. can — to be able to
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. charge — electricity
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. ball — a great time
  11. charge — in control
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. snap — to click
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lie — to recline
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. can — a tin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. charge — a price
  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