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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. club — for golf
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pop — music
  9. last — final
  10. pop — to visit
  11. club — for dancing
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. club — a group
  15. mark — a grade
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pop — soda
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mark — a trace
  21. sharp — clever
  22. last — to go on
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. last — finally

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