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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cap — a lid
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rock — a stone
  6. file — a document
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bear — the animal
  9. file — a line of people
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rock — music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. file — a tool
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. snap — to click
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fan — to cool the air

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