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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. degree — temperature
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. degree — an amount
  7. track — a song
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. snap — to click
  14. degree — from a university
  15. track — to keep track
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lie — to recline
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — to bend
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. track — a path

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