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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mate — to breed
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mate — a friend
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. can — a tin
  14. rock — a stone
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. object — to protest
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mate — a partner
  19. can — to be able to
  20. object — a thing
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rock — music
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. object — an aim

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