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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — to bear
  11. last — finally
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. current — of water
  17. last — to go on
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rush — hurry
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. last — final
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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