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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. face — to confront
  4. foot — a measure
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. face — to point toward
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. charge — in control
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fine — high quality
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. charge — a price
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. field — farmland
  16. saw — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. field — a subject
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. field — for sport
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fine — all right
  23. face — part of the head
  24. charge — electricity

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