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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — low music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. staff — employees
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bass — the fish
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. chair — a leader
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. chair — to sit on

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