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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spell — magic
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. spring — the season
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. plane — a tool
  14. board — a committee
  15. spring — of water
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. board — to get on
  18. spell — letters
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spell — a short time

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