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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 120 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. content — the amount
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rule — a law
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rest — a break
  12. rule — government
  13. plane — a tool
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mug — a face
  16. rest — what's left
  17. content — happy
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mug — a cup
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mug — to rob
  24. plane — an aircraft

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