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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rest — a break
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. net — after costs
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. net — in sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wake — a trail
  19. net — for catching
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stand — to bear
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. court — of a king

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