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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fine — high quality
  5. staff — employees
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spell — a short time
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. kid — child
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. staff — employees
  14. spell — magic
  15. staff — a stick
  16. spell — letters
  17. fine — all right
  18. kid — to tease

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