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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. toast — bread
  8. court — for sport
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. face — to point toward
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pop — music
  14. face — to confront
  15. pop — to visit
  16. court — of law
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pop — soda
  21. court — of a king
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ruler — for measuring

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