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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mug — a face
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wax — to grow
  16. craft — a skill
  17. scale — size or range
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. craft — boats
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. scale — in music
  24. jam — in traffic

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