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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. swing — music
  6. bound — certain
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. swing — in golf
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. drill — army training
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wake — a trail

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