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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. dip — to sink
  4. club — for golf
  5. bore — to drill
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. shower — to wash
  10. key — in music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. club — a group
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. club — for dancing
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. key — for a lock
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. shower — rain

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