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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stand — to bear
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bound — obliged
  18. field — a subject
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. fan — a supporter

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