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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. suit — to fit
  6. game — a match
  7. bound — obliged
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. net — for catching
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. net — in sport
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. suit — clothes
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. net — after costs
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. suit — in cards
  23. game — wild animals
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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