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

Word bank: straw · mate · bay · pass · foot · rush · present · wind

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wind — moving air
  5. present — a gift
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rush — hurry
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pass — to succeed

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