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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fork — in a road
  7. season — in sport
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bank — for money
  12. last — finally
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — to go on
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bank — of a river
  17. shower — rain
  18. last — final
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mark — a trace
  21. season — of the year
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mark — a grade
  24. shower — to wash

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