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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bank — for money
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. court — of law
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tube — a container
  13. fine — all right
  14. bank — for money
  15. court — of a king
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bank — of a river
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. court — for sport
  23. fine — high quality
  24. lash — an eyelash

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