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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. court — for sport
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bore — to drill
  8. court — of law
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fall — the season
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. court — of a king
  22. plane — a tool
  23. toast — bread
  24. straw — dry grass

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