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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. shower — to wash
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bound — obliged
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bound — certain
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bound — tied together
  24. calf — a young animal

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