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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. last — to go on
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. last — final
  5. object — an aim
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. object — a thing
  8. last — finally
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. object — to protest
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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