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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. shower — rain
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wind — moving air
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lean — thin
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wind — moving air
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. straw — dry grass

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