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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stand — to bear
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. band — a ring
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. foot — a measure
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mug — a face
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. band — a music group

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