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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mug — a face
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rule — government
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mug — to rob
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. season — in sport
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rule — a law
  20. season — of the year
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. degree — temperature
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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