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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lean — thin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rock — music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rest — what's left
  11. drill — the tool
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rest — a break
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. perch — the fish
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. drill — army training
  20. lean — to bend
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. perch — for a bird

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