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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — shares
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stock — goods
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. dip — to sink
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. roll — a list
  22. row — a line
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. straw — a straw man

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