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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. drill — a practice
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. hand — in cards
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. wound — an injury
  10. firm — decided
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. hand — help
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wound — an injury
  16. drill — army training
  17. firm — a company
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. mug — a cup
  21. firm — steady
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. drill — the tool

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