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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 124 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. clip — for paper
  3. root — the cause
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. squash — the sport
  6. snap — to click
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — of a word
  9. clip — a video
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bulb — for light
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. clip — to cut
  16. root — of a plant
  17. charge — in control
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. charge — electricity
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. charge — a price

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