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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. current — of water
  5. track — a song
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wake — a trail
  9. current — electric
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. chest — of your body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chest — a box
  19. current — happening now
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chest — of your body
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bound — tied together
  24. racket — for tennis

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