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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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468
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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cold — an illness
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. staff — employees
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. kick — in football
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pass — a permit
  23. staff — a stick
  24. kick — with a leg

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