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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Let us try to swim against 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. row — a line
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. current — electric
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cap — a lid
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. current — happening now
  11. cap — of ice
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. kid — to tease
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cap — a hat
  21. row — to paddle
  22. kid — child
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. current — of water

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