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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. kick — in football
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. squash — the sport
  19. file — a document
  20. shower — to wash
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. shower — rain
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pitcher — a jug

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