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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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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rule — a law
  7. rash — a series
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rule — government
  15. spell — letters
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. spell — magic
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wave — of the sea

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