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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. kid — child
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rock — a stone
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rock — music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. content — happy
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. cap — a hat
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. content — the amount
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kid — to tease
  24. content — videos and posts

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