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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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468
Word bank
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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making 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. mate — a partner
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. kid — child
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. staff — employees
  9. key — for a lock
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. staff — employees
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. key — the most important part
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. key — in music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. racket — a loud noise

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