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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. shower — rain
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rock — music
  9. object — to protest
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. object — an aim
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. object — a thing
  23. shower — to wash
  24. straw — dry grass

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