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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mark — a grade
  13. race — a contest
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mark — a trace
  21. race — humankind
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for golf

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