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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. ground — a position
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. band — a music group
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ground — crushed
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ground — the earth
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. band — a ring

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