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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. tube — the underground
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rock — music
  11. tube — a container
  12. swing — in golf
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bank — for money
  15. swing — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. swing — to play on
  24. sharp — exactly

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