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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stand — to bear
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. spring — the season
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — of water
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spring — a coil
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. press — newspapers
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. press — to push

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