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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. toast — bread
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stock — goods
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stock — shares
  21. mug — a cup
  22. court — of a king
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mug — a face

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