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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 120 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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. spell — magic
  3. dip — to sink
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fine — all right
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. spell — a short time
  13. board — a committee
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. board — to get on
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. snap — to click
  20. spell — letters
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. board — a flat piece

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