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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. current — of water
  3. land — to come down
  4. bound — obliged
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cue — for pool
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bound — certain
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. content — the amount
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cue — a signal
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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