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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. chest — a box
  7. present — the time now
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chest — of your body
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. prune — to trim
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. present — there
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. present — a gift

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