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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. spell — magic
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lean — to bend
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spell — letters
  22. pit — a hole
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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