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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. clip — to cut
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. land — ground
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ball — a dance
  10. land — a country
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. swing — music
  16. clip — a video
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. clip — for paper
  21. land — to come down
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bulb — for light

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