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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. clip — to cut
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. saw — the tool
  10. foot — a measure
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. clip — a video
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. clip — for paper
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. foot — the bottom

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