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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. sharp — clever
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. current — electric
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. current — of water
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pound — a weight
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. toast — bread
  23. field — for sport
  24. current — happening now

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