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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: calf · straw · shower · scale · bound · wind · staff · mouse

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bound — certain
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. shower — rain
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wind — moving air
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bound — tied together
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wind — moving air
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mouse — the 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