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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. march — the month
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kid — child
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. object — an aim
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. march — music
  12. object — a thing
  13. mug — a face
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. object — to protest
  16. mug — a cup
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. march — the month
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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