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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 116 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's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. kid — to tease
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. saw — the tool
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. kid — child
  14. suit — clothes
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. court — of a king
  17. tear — to rip
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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