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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spell — magic
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rule — a law
  8. spell — letters
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fine — high quality
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rash — a series
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rule — government
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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