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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. charge — in control
  3. firm — steady
  4. ground — crushed
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. firm — a company
  9. face — part of the head
  10. charge — a price
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. firm — decided
  13. dip — to sink
  14. present — a gift
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. present — there
  18. face — to confront
  19. present — the time now
  20. charge — electricity
  21. ground — the earth
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. ground — a position
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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