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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. can — a tin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stock — goods
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. present — the time now
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. can — to be able to
  16. game — a match
  17. present — a gift
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. present — there
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. game — wild animals
  23. can — a tin
  24. stock — shares

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