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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rock — a stone
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fork — in a road
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pop — soda
  10. row — a line
  11. rock — music
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. row — to paddle
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pop — music
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fork — to eat with

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