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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mark — a trace
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — the season
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fall — to drop
  11. kid — to tease
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. kid — child
  16. squash — the sport
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mark — a grade
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fall — to drop
  24. squash — to crush

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