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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. object — a thing
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bear — the animal
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cell — a phone
  8. object — an aim
  9. cell — in biology
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. last — finally
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. object — to protest
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bear — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. chair — to sit on

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