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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bound — certain
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bound — obliged
  6. craft — boats
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. craft — a skill
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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