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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. ground — the earth
  5. kick — in football
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. tear — from crying
  10. last — finally
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rule — a law
  13. ground — crushed
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rule — government
  18. last — to go on
  19. snap — to click
  20. dip — to sink
  21. last — final
  22. ground — a position
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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