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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. present — a gift
  3. mate — a partner
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mate — to breed
  6. present — the time now
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. can — to be able to
  12. craft — boats
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ground — a position
  15. present — there
  16. can — a tin
  17. row — a line
  18. can — a tin
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. row — to paddle
  22. craft — a skill
  23. ground — crushed
  24. craft — a handicraft

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