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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. last — final
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. tear — to rip
  7. last — to go on
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. last — finally
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spell — magic
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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