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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. drill — army training
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fine — all right
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rash — a series
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rash — hasty
  16. snap — to click
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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