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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · rule · club · arm · staff · key · wound · snap

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wound — an injury
  5. staff — employees
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rule — government
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. key — for a lock
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rule — a law
  13. staff — employees
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. club — for golf
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. staff — a stick
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. key — the most important part
  21. snap — to click
  22. club — a group
  23. key — in music
  24. club — for dancing

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