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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. race — the arms race
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. race — humankind
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. court — of a king
  13. mug — to rob
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. race — a contest
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. straw — dry grass

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