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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pound — a weight
  3. season — in sport
  4. charge — in control
  5. season — of the year
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. game — wild animals
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pop — soda
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lean — thin
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. lean — to bend
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lean — to rest against

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