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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed 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. current — happening now
  3. mark — a trace
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pound — a weight
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. snap — to click
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mine — for digging
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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