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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. can — to be able to
  3. court — of law
  4. rest — a break
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. club — a group
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wind — moving air
  11. court — of a king
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. club — for dancing
  14. can — a tin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. club — for golf
  21. court — for sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rest — what's left

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