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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. club — for golf
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. saw — the tool
  13. club — a group
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mug — to rob
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rest — what's left
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — a face
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. straw — a straw man
  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