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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. spell — a short time
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lean — to bend
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. season — in sport
  8. scale — size or range
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. vault — a safe
  12. season — of the year
  13. scale — in music
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lean — thin
  19. spell — magic
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. spell — letters
  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