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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. foot — a measure
  16. content — happy
  17. ball — a dance
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. perch — the fish
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. content — the amount

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