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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. perch — the fish
  3. track — a song
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bass — the fish
  6. track — to keep track
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bass — low music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. track — a path
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kick — in football
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rule — a law
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rule — government
  24. saw — the tool

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