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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. content — happy
  3. pit — a hole
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. roll — a list
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. charge — a price
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. charge — electricity
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. content — the amount
  18. game — a match
  19. charge — in control
  20. pit — in a race
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. roll — a cake
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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