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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 116 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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bound — obliged
  3. drill — the tool
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bound — tied together
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bound — certain
  17. present — there
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. drill — a practice
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. kid — to tease
  22. drill — army training
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. safe — out of danger

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