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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. 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. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. spell — magic
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. club — a group
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. spell — letters
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. roll — a list
  14. club — for golf
  15. pound — a weight
  16. spell — a short time
  17. roll — a cake
  18. 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