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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. toast — bread
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pass — a permit
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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