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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. current — of water
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bore — to tire
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. current — electric
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. current — happening now
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. clip — a video
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. clip — to cut
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wake — a trail

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