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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. game — wild animals
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rock — music
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. game — a match
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lie — to recline

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