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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. club — for dancing
  6. plane — a tool
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. club — a group
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chest — of your body
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. toast — bread
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. club — for golf
  18. straw — dry grass

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