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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rest — a break
  3. rock — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. firm — decided
  6. land — to come down
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bark — to shout
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. land — ground
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pop — music
  24. land — a country

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