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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.

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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: charge · track · saw · lean · cell · straw · march · deal

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cell — in biology
  3. charge — electricity
  4. saw — the tool
  5. march — music
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lean — thin
  9. march — the month
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lean — to bend
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. track — to keep track
  14. charge — a price
  15. cell — a phone
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. march — the month
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. deal — to handle
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. track — a song
  23. saw — the tool
  24. charge — in control

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