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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. foot — the bottom
  3. drill — army training
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. face — to confront
  6. bound — tied together
  7. object — to protest
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. object — a thing
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. face — to point toward
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bound — certain
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wake — a trail
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bound — obliged
  21. object — an aim
  22. foot — part of the body
  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