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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mate — to breed
  14. can — to be able to
  15. spell — magic
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. roll — a list
  22. spell — letters
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mate — a partner

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