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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rash — a series
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cap — of ice
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rush — hurry
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rash — hasty

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