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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bark — to shout
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bound — certain
  8. spell — letters
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. clip — a video
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. row — a line
  18. lean — thin
  19. clip — to cut
  20. spell — magic
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. spell — a short time
  23. clip — for paper
  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