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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. race — the arms race
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. race — a contest
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. race — humankind
  13. land — ground
  14. season — of the year
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. season — in sport
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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