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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. key — for a lock
  5. band — a ring
  6. mate — a partner
  7. band — a music group
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mate — a friend
  11. drill — army training
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. key — in music
  14. can — a tin
  15. mate — to breed
  16. key — the most important part
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. can — a tin
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. drill — the tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. calf — a young animal

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