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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. drill — army training
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. spell — letters
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bear — the animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. spell — a short time
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spell — magic
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mark — to pay attention

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