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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 116 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. club — for dancing
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fork — in a road
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. club — a group
  11. press — to push
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rule — government
  14. court — for sport
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. court — of law
  17. club — for golf
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. court — of a king
  22. rule — a law
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rule — to rule out

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