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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mate — to breed
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wind — moving air
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. track — a path
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. hand — help
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mate — a partner
  18. track — to keep track
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. track — a song
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wind — moving air

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