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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bass — low music
  21. key — in music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stock — goods
  24. key — the most important part

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