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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mark — a trace
  3. current — happening now
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. current — of water
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. drill — army training
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tear — from crying
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. drill — a practice
  20. tear — from crying
  21. current — electric
  22. tear — to rip
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mark — to pay attention

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