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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rock — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. saw — the tool
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wound — an injury
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. object — a thing
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rock — a stone

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