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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 116 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. spring — the season
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against

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