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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 116 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rule — government
  4. object — a thing
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pop — soda
  12. object — an aim
  13. pop — music
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pop — to visit
  17. object — to protest
  18. rule — a law

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