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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. clip — a video
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. club — for golf
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. degree — from a university
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. clip — for paper
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. degree — temperature
  17. club — a group
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. clip — to cut
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. degree — an amount

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