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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. object — a thing
  3. mate — to breed
  4. field — for sport
  5. lean — thin
  6. object — an aim
  7. hand — in cards
  8. field — farmland
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mate — a friend
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. lean — to bend
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. hand — help
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. field — a subject
  23. mate — a partner
  24. object — to protest

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