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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mug — to rob
  4. last — finally
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mug — a cup
  8. last — final
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pop — soda
  11. spring — a coil
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mug — a face
  15. spring — of water
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. last — to go on
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. spring — the season
  21. pop — music
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wound — an injury

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