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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 124 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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. toast — bread
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. track — a path
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. track — a song
  8. root — the cause
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. season — of the year
  12. root — of a word
  13. firm — steady
  14. bass — low music
  15. firm — decided
  16. wound — an injury
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. root — of a plant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wound — an injury
  22. season — in sport
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. firm — a company

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