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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. court — of law
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. court — for sport
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cue — for pool
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. court — of a king
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rash — a series
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rash — hasty

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