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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rock — music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. shower — rain
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stand — to bear
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pit — in a race
  19. foot — a measure
  20. date — the fruit
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rock — a stone
  24. leaves — of a tree

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