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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fall — to drop
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — the animal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. degree — temperature
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bulb — for light
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fall — the season
  16. row — a line
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — from a university

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