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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. present — there
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. deal — to handle
  23. present — the time now
  24. clip — to cut

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