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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. present — there
  3. rule — government
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lean — thin
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. present — the time now
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. press — to push
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. press — a publisher
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. present — a gift
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rule — a law
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bank — for money

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