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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mate — a friend
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mate — to breed
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. prune — to trim
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. degree — temperature
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. club — a group
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. club — for golf
  20. mate — a partner
  21. degree — from a university
  22. club — for dancing
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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