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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fall — the season
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. can — a tin
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fall — to drop
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. can — to be able to
  13. ball — a great time
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. capital — a city
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. capital — money
  18. can — a tin
  19. chair — a leader
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rush — hurry

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