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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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. lash — a whip stroke
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rash — hasty
  6. saw — the tool
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. swing — in golf
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. swing — music
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. rash — a series
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. lash — an eyelash

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