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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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 — a straw man
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pitch — completely
  5. content — happy
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. club — for golf
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. club — for dancing
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. content — the amount
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. club — a group
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. content — videos and posts

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