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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 116 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mate — to breed
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pop — to visit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — a partner
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — soda
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pop — music
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — rain

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