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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cue — a hint
  3. lean — to bend
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fall — the season
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lean — thin
  16. board — to get on
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cue — for pool
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cue — a signal

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