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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. present — the time now
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. present — a gift
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — to bend
  13. present — there
  14. ball — a great time
  15. kick — in football
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lean — thin
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. perch — the fish

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