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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. press — a publisher
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. press — newspapers
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stock — goods
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — to push
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stock — shares
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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