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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 116 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fall — the season
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. kid — child
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wake — a trail
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lie — an untruth

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