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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. firm — steady
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. firm — decided
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. tear — from crying
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. kick — in football
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bear — the animal
  23. firm — a company
  24. wax — to grow

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