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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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. degree — an amount
  4. net — in sport
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. net — for catching
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — from a university
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. net — after costs
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mouse — for a computer

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