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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. present — the time now
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spring — of water
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. spring — the season
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. spring — a coil
  16. plane — a tool
  17. present — a gift
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. present — there

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