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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rock — a stone
  3. firm — a company
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. craft — boats
  11. drill — army training
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rash — a series
  17. drill — the tool
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rash — hasty
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. drill — a practice

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