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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. shower — to wash
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. kick — in football
  9. bound — obliged
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bound — certain
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stem — to come from
  21. shower — rain
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bound — tied together

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