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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. key — in music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. face — part of the head
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. face — to confront
  12. drill — a practice
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ground — crushed
  16. present — a gift
  17. hand — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ground — the earth
  22. hand — help
  23. ground — a position
  24. suit — in cards

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