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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. toast — bread
  8. net — after costs
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cell — in biology
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chip — for betting
  13. net — in sport
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cell — a phone
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. net — for catching
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. chip — to eat
  24. arm — part of the body

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