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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. field — a subject
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cue — a hint
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pass — a permit
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. season — in sport
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. season — of the year

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