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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. present — the time now
  5. pound — a weight
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. snap — to click
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. present — there
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. present — a gift
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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