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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — in control
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. charge — electricity
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. charge — a price
  16. shower — rain
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — hurry
  24. shower — to wash

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