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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: chest · scale · straw · ruler · arm · track · charge · saw

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. scale — in music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. track — a song
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. charge — a price
  20. track — to keep track
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — a path
  24. ruler — a monarch

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