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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tear — from crying
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bank — for money
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fork — in a road
  14. tear — to rip
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. safe — out of danger

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