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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bank — of a river
  4. firm — steady
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — decided
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bank — for money
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — a company
  18. snap — to click
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. straw — a straw man

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