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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. current — happening now
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. drill — army training
  8. tube — the underground
  9. band — a ring
  10. tube — a container
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. current — of water
  16. dip — to sink
  17. band — a music group
  18. drill — the tool
  19. current — electric
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wake — a trail
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wake — before a funeral

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