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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — certain
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bound — obliged
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bound — tied together
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lean — to bend
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rule — government
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rule — a law
  24. lean — thin

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