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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. spell — letters
  6. toast — bread
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. spell — magic
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. roll — a cake
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. roll — a list
  23. spell — a short time
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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