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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kick — in football
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fine — all right
  15. last — to go on
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. last — final
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fine — high quality
  22. last — finally
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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