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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 120 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pass — a permit
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. staff — a stick
  6. deal — to handle
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. capital — money
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. chair — a leader
  11. staff — employees
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. kick — in football
  14. staff — employees
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. capital — a city
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. capital — a big letter

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