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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. degree — from a university
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fall — the season
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. degree — an amount
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. fall — to drop
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. present — there
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. present — a gift
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. present — the time now
  24. dip — to sink

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