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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ground — a position
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cell — a phone
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. object — to protest
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bound — tied together
  12. ground — the earth
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. object — a thing
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bound — certain
  22. object — an aim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. firm — steady

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