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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bulb — for light
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wake — a trail
  16. hand — help
  17. pit — a hole
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. charge — a price
  21. hand — in cards
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. deal — to handle
  24. straw — a straw man

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