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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. tube — a container
  5. bear — the animal
  6. race — a contest
  7. rest — what's left
  8. staff — employees
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. staff — a stick
  12. saw — the tool
  13. snap — to click
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rest — what's left
  16. race — humankind
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rest — a break
  19. staff — employees
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. tube — the underground
  24. straw — dry grass

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