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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pit — in a race
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. plane — a tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mate — a partner
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pit — a hole

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