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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. present — there
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bound — certain
  9. present — a gift
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bound — obliged
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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