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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. face — to confront
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. band — a music group
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. race — the arms race
  10. content — the amount
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. prune — to trim
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. dip — to sink
  17. content — happy
  18. race — humankind
  19. face — to point toward
  20. key — in music
  21. race — a contest
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. prune — to trim

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