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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. toast — bread
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. spell — a short time
  5. snap — to click
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — of water
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. spell — magic
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. spell — letters
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. current — happening now
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. current — electric

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