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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 116 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. club — a group
  3. prune — to trim
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bore — to tire
  6. season — of the year
  7. bore — to drill
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — rain
  14. fine — high quality
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. shower — to wash
  17. club — for golf
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fine — all right
  24. prune — to trim

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