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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. dip — to sink
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bore — to tire
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. cold — an illness
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rule — government
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. court — of a king
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bore — to drill
  19. court — of law
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. court — for sport

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