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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. current — of water
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fork — in a road
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pop — soda
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pound — a weight
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. current — happening now
  22. rush — hurry
  23. current — electric
  24. pop — music

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