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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. tube — the underground
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. clip — to cut
  7. season — of the year
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. clip — for paper
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. clip — a video
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. tube — a container
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — to recline
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. season — in sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — in football
  24. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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