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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. spell — a short time
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rule — a law
  7. prune — to trim
  8. game — a match
  9. spell — letters
  10. key — the most important part
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. spell — magic
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rule — government
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. key — in music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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