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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. mark — a grade
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. object — a thing
  4. land — ground
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spring — the season
  8. cell — in biology
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — a country
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mark — a trace
  16. land — to come down
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. object — to protest
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. spring — of water
  21. object — an aim
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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