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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bore — to drill
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fine — high quality
  8. present — there
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mug — a face
  12. present — the time now
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fine — all right
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. present — a gift
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. plane — a tool
  22. squash — to crush
  23. dip — to sink
  24. plane — in geometry

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