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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. track — a song
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. net — after costs
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. chest — a box
  12. foot — a measure
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rule — a law
  15. net — for catching
  16. chest — of your body
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. net — in sport
  20. present — there
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. chest — of your body
  24. straw — dry grass

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