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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. toast — bread
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cap — of ice
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. charge — a price
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. charge — electricity
  17. tear — from crying
  18. charge — in control
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lie — to recline

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