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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rule — a law
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. prune — to trim
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. plane — a tool
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. craft — boats
  23. rule — government
  24. leaves — to go away

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