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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rock — music
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. chest — of your body
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chest — of your body
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fall — to drop
  13. key — the most important part
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. chest — a box
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fall — the season
  19. key — for a lock
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pass — a permit
  24. key — in music

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