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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 ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. kid — to tease
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. kid — child
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lie — to recline
  23. spell — a short time
  24. straw — a straw man

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