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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. can — to be able to
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stock — shares
  8. mate — to breed
  9. kid — child
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stock — goods
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. snap — to click
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. can — a tin

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