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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 124 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. race — humankind
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stem — to come from
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. kick — in football
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. degree — from a university
  11. race — a contest
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. craft — a skill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. degree — an amount
  17. race — the arms race
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. craft — boats
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. degree — temperature
  24. plane — in geometry

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