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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. nail — for a hammer

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