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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. craft — boats
  12. kid — child
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rash — a series
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wound — an injury

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