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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wound — an injury
  3. can — a tin
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. drill — army training
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. can — a tin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bore — to drill
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. chip — for betting
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bore — to tire
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chip — to eat
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. foot — a measure

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