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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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 — a lid
  3. shower — rain
  4. hand — help
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. current — of water
  7. cue — for pool
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cap — of ice
  10. branch — a division
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cue — a signal
  13. current — happening now
  14. cue — a hint
  15. firm — a company
  16. hand — in cards
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cap — a hat
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. current — electric
  21. firm — decided
  22. shower — to wash
  23. firm — steady
  24. branch — of a tree

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