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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. land — ground
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. present — there
  8. drill — the tool
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bear — the animal
  17. land — to come down
  18. drill — army training
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. present — a gift
  24. land — a country

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