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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rule — a law
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fall — the season
  13. rule — government
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fork — in a road
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wax — in the ear

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