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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 124 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. march — the month
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. march — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. march — the month
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. land — to come down
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. land — a country
  19. fork — in a road
  20. land — ground
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. arm — a part of something

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