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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lean — thin
  3. object — a thing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. object — to protest
  9. track — a path
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cap — a lid
  12. saw — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cap — a hat
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. object — an aim
  20. track — to keep track
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cap — of ice
  23. track — a song
  24. calf — of the leg

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