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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bank — for money
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kid — to tease
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bank — for money
  15. object — an aim
  16. squash — to crush
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. object — a thing
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. object — to protest
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bank — of a river

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