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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. shower — rain
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pass — a permit
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rash — a series
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fork — to eat with

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