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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. march — the month
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. toast — bread
  18. march — music
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. race — the arms race
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. straw — a straw man

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