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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  3. band — a music group
  4. kid — child
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wake — a trail
  7. can — a tin
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. object — to protest
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. kid — to tease
  16. can — to be able to
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. band — a ring
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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