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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. band — a music group
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. firm — decided
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. band — a ring
  11. firm — a company
  12. rock — a stone
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rock — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. firm — steady
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. nail — for a hammer

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