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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bear — the animal
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rash — a series
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wound — an injury
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. drill — army training
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. drill — a practice
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rash — hasty
  23. drill — the tool
  24. dip — to sink

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