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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. plane — a tool
  4. tube — a container
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mark — a grade
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — the underground
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rash — a series
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cap — a lid

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