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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — to eat
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — a tin
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — the fish
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. can — to be able to
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. squash — the sport

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