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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. court — of law
  4. mate — to breed
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mate — a friend
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. court — for sport
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. key — the most important part
  18. court — of a king
  19. key — in music
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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