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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rule — government
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tube — a container
  5. pop — to visit
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bank — for money
  8. mug — a face
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bank — for money
  12. mug — to rob
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pop — soda
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pop — music
  24. tube — the underground

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