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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. net — for catching
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hand — help
  5. lean — thin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — after costs
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. root — the cause
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lean — to bend
  18. net — in sport
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — of a word
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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