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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. current — happening now
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. pass — a permit
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. current — of water
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. current — electric

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