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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. snap — to click
  6. net — after costs
  7. fall — to drop
  8. net — for catching
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fall — the season
  14. chair — a leader
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. net — in sport
  18. rush — hurry
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fine — high quality
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. fall — to drop
  24. suit — in cards

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