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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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. straw — a straw man
  4. rule — a law
  5. rest — a break
  6. deal — to handle
  7. current — happening now
  8. sharp — clever
  9. scale — in music
  10. current — electric
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. land — ground
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. current — of water
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. land — a country
  19. rule — government
  20. rest — what's left
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. land — to come down
  23. rest — what's left
  24. sharp — with an edge

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