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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 124 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — a break
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bass — low music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rest — what's left
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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