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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. key — for a lock
  3. season — of the year
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fine — high quality
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. key — the most important part
  11. club — for golf
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fine — all right
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. season — in sport
  18. key — in music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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