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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. club — for dancing
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spring — of water
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. spring — a coil
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. club — a group
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fine — all right
  16. bank — of a river
  17. club — for golf
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. spring — the season
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chair — a leader
  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