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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. season — of the year
  9. craft — a skill
  10. season — in sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spring — the season
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spring — of water
  15. chest — of your body
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chest — of your body
  18. craft — boats
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. chest — a box
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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