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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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 — to stop sleeping
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. present — there
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. race — a contest
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. race — the arms race
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. present — the time now
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. race — humankind
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — a gift
  24. wake — before a funeral

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