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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. object — to protest
  10. land — ground
  11. object — an aim
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. squash — the sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. land — a country
  19. object — a thing
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. face — to point toward
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. land — to come down

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