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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. tear — to rip
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bank — of a river
  8. snap — to click
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. firm — a company
  12. bank — for money
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tear — from crying
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bank — for money

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