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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. charge — electricity
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stem — to come from
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. charge — a price
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. charge — in control
  24. fan — a supporter

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