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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rule — a law
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rule — government
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wake — a trail
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. perch — for a bird

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