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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lean — thin
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. key — the most important part
  6. scale — size or range
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lean — to bend
  10. scale — in music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. content — happy
  14. pass — a permit
  15. key — for a lock
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. key — in music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. stock — shares
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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