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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chair — a leader
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mark — a trace
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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