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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mug — a face
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. firm — a company
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. straw — a straw man

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