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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. sharp — clever
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — government
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rule — a law
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. snap — to click
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. patient — a sick person

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