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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. land — ground
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. game — wild animals
  9. land — to come down
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — all right
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. land — a country
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. game — a match
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. dip — to dunk

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