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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. net — in sport
  6. drill — a practice
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. net — after costs
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. drill — army training
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. net — for catching

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