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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rush — hurry
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. suit — in cards
  6. file — a tool
  7. toast — bread
  8. suit — clothes
  9. file — a document
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. saw — the tool

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