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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chest — of your body
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. file — a document
  7. root — the cause
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cue — a hint
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. file — a tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. craft — boats
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chest — a box
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. craft — a skill
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cue — for pool
  24. root — of a word

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