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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 116 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pop — music
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mark — a grade
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. object — to protest
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pass — a permit
  14. object — an aim
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. object — a thing
  24. pop — soda

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