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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rest — what's left
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cue — a signal
  11. net — for catching
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stock — goods
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. net — after costs
  19. scale — in music
  20. net — in sport
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bound — certain

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