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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. current — electric
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cap — a hat
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. cap — of ice
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. current — happening now
  16. bat — the animal
  17. current — of water
  18. spell — a short time
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. straw — dry grass

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