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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ground — crushed
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ground — the earth
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wound — an injury
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ground — a position
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — for pool
  17. scale — in music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cue — a hint

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