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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. saw — the tool
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. firm — decided
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pop — to visit
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. shower — to wash
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pop — soda
  13. firm — a company
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pop — music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. shower — rain
  20. firm — steady
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. saw — the tool
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. straw — a straw man

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