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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mug — to rob
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. clip — a video
  7. track — a song
  8. clip — for paper
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mug — a face
  11. track — a path
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. snap — to click
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rock — music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. clip — to cut
  24. straw — a straw man

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