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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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. track — a song
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stand — to bear
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spell — letters
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. track — a path
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. shower — rain

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