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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bass — low music
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mate — to breed
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mate — a friend
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wound — an injury

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