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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. object — an aim
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. object — to protest
  14. board — a committee
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. object — a thing
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. hide — to keep secret

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