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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. stock — a soup base
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. swing — to play on
  9. row — to paddle
  10. mug — to rob
  11. swing — music
  12. spell — magic
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. row — a line
  20. bank — for money
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. bank — of a river
  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