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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. tear — from crying
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tear — to rip
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. last — final
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. perch — the fish
  15. last — to go on
  16. lean — thin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. tear — from crying
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. last — finally
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lean — to bend

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