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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. object — a thing
  5. mine — for digging
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fine — all right
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. snap — to click
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. current — happening now
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. object — an aim
  18. current — electric
  19. bore — to tire
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. current — of water
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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