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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. present — there
  7. object — an aim
  8. spell — magic
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. present — the time now
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. object — to protest
  13. spell — letters
  14. object — a thing
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rule — government
  20. deal — to handle
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rule — a law
  24. present — a gift

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