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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stand — to bear
  10. net — for catching
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. net — in sport
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fall — the season
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lean — thin
  20. fall — to drop
  21. net — after costs
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stand — on your feet

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