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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rush — hurry
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. court — of law
  11. current — electric
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. current — of water
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. current — happening now
  21. cap — of ice
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cabinet — ministers

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