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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pound — a weight
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. snap — to click
  12. season — in sport
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. race — humankind
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. season — of the year
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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