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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. net — after costs
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bore — to drill
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. scale — in music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rush — hurry
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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