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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: object · arm · cabinet · charge · rock · straw · wake · tube

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. tube — a container
  5. rock — a stone
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. object — a thing
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rock — music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. object — to protest
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. object — an aim
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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