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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. plane — a tool
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rule — a law
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rule — government
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bear — the animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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