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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rock — a stone
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rock — music
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. content — the amount
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. content — happy
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mine — belonging to me

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