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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lean — thin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bass — low music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. kid — child
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. kid — to tease
  24. lean — to bend

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