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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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. file — a line of people
  4. track — a song
  5. season — of the year
  6. face — to point toward
  7. file — a tool
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. face — part of the head
  10. file — a document
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. season — in sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ground — the earth
  22. face — to confront
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. season — to add flavour

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