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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. present — the time now
  6. current — happening now
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. drill — the tool
  9. current — of water
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. drill — a practice
  14. current — electric
  15. present — a gift
  16. root — of a plant
  17. drill — army training
  18. wind — moving air
  19. root — of a word
  20. present — there
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bear — the animal
  23. root — the cause
  24. straw — dry grass

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