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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. sharp — clever
  5. plane — a tool
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pitch — completely
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — the animal
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rush — hurry

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