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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chip — to eat
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. fall — the season
  13. present — a gift
  14. mark — a trace
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. current — electric
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rock — music
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. present — there
  23. rock — a stone
  24. present — the time now

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