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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cue — a hint
  3. hand — help
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cue — a signal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pit — a hole
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pit — in a race
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cue — for pool
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chest — a box
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. stand — to bear

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