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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cap — a hat
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lean — thin
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lean — to bend
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — to confront
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lean — to rest against

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