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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. drill — a practice
  4. court — of law
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. court — for sport
  8. lean — to bend
  9. court — of a king
  10. rule — a law
  11. mine — for digging
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. drill — army training
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. drill — the tool

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