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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · foot · shower · rush · straw · suit · bound · track

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. track — a song
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. suit — in cards
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rush — hurry
  14. track — to keep track
  15. foot — a measure
  16. tear — from crying
  17. track — a path
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. shower — rain
  22. tear — to rip
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — to wash

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