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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. drill — army training
  8. current — of water
  9. chip — for betting
  10. content — happy
  11. drill — the tool
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. current — happening now
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bound — certain
  16. content — the amount
  17. chip — to eat
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. current — electric
  22. drill — a practice
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bound — obliged

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