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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. squash — to crush
  3. field — farmland
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. can — a tin
  7. cap — of ice
  8. can — a tin
  9. cap — a hat
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. field — a subject
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cap — a lid
  16. can — to be able to
  17. field — for sport
  18. bank — for money
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bank — for money

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