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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. spell — a short time
  3. march — the month
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. march — music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. deal — to handle
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. snap — to click
  17. spell — letters
  18. cap — of ice
  19. march — the month
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. spell — magic
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mate — to breed

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