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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. face — to confront
  9. bat — the animal
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. plane — a tool
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lean — thin
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ball — a dance
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pit — in a race

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