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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rash — a series
  7. plane — a tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. firm — steady
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rash — hasty
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. firm — decided
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. perch — for a bird

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