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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. pit — in a race
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. date — the fruit
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pit — a hole
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. perch — the fish
  13. plane — a tool
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. clip — a video
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. clip — for paper
  24. plane — an aircraft

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