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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · fall · toast · staff · straw · bank · calf · saw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. bank — of a river
  11. row — a line
  12. fall — the season
  13. staff — employees
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. saw — the tool
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. staff — a stick
  21. fall — to drop
  22. toast — bread
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. calf — a young animal

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