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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wind — moving air
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mouse — the animal

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