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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. current — of water
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. current — electric
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pop — music
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. current — happening now
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pop — soda
  18. roll — a list
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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