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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. current — electric
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fine — all right
  6. clip — to cut
  7. fine — high quality
  8. firm — steady
  9. clip — a video
  10. current — of water
  11. chair — a leader
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rash — a series
  14. current — happening now
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. clip — for paper
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rash — hasty

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