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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. degree — temperature
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. degree — an amount
  6. shower — rain
  7. rule — government
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rule — a law
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. rash — hasty
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rash — a series
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. charge — a price
  20. season — of the year
  21. degree — from a university
  22. shower — to wash
  23. charge — in control
  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