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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. face — part of the head
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rash — a series
  10. march — the month
  11. face — to confront
  12. march — music
  13. last — to go on
  14. face — to point toward
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rash — hasty
  17. last — final
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. march — the month
  21. cell — a phone
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. last — finally

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