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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pop — music
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. chip — for betting
  14. season — of the year
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pop — soda
  17. season — in sport
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pop — to visit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. branch — a division

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