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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. dip — to sink
  3. saw — the tool
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stock — shares
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. saw — the tool
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stock — goods
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. plane — a tool
  24. dip — to dunk

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