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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. object — an aim
  3. branch — a division
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pit — a hole
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. charge — in control
  12. pit — in a race
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. date — the fruit
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. charge — a price
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bat — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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