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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. cue — for pool
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ground — a position
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lean — thin
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cue — a hint
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bass — low music
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ground — crushed
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cue — a signal
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ground — the earth
  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