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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cap — a lid
  3. craft — a skill
  4. kid — to tease
  5. craft — boats
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rock — music
  12. cap — a hat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. chair — a leader
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kid — child
  19. cap — of ice
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rock — a stone
  24. straw — a straw man

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