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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · mouse · bore · last · wave · straw · foot · spring

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. spring — of water
  5. bore — to tire
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. last — final
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. last — to go on
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. last — finally
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. ground — a position
  22. bore — to drill
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. spring — the season

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