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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cue — for pool
  13. snap — to click
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. squash — the sport
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lie — to recline
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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