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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. sharp — clever
  3. staff — employees
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. land — a country
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lean — thin
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. lean — to bend
  13. land — ground
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rule — a law
  16. land — to come down
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. root — the cause
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. rule — government

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