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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rock — music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. spring — of water
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. spring — the season
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. saw — the tool
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pass — a permit
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rock — a stone
  24. spring — a coil

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