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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stand — to bear
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rule — government
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rock — music
  19. chest — a box
  20. rule — a law
  21. chest — of your body
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rock — to move gently

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