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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fine — all right
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. shower — rain
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spring — of water
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. club — a group
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. shower — to wash
  22. spring — the season
  23. club — for golf
  24. cabinet — ministers

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