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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. shower — to wash
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pound — a weight
  5. shower — rain
  6. row — a line
  7. mark — a grade
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. toast — bread
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mark — a trace
  14. net — in sport
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. net — for catching
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. net — after costs
  20. row — to paddle
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. toast — the most admired

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