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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. toast — bread
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bound — certain
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bound — obliged
  11. hand — help
  12. tube — a container
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. hand — in cards
  24. tube — the underground

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