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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rule — a law
  6. degree — an amount
  7. rule — government
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fine — all right
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fine — high quality
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. degree — from a university

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