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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 120 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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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 · rock · race · foot · straw · sharp · game · mouse

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rock — a stone
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. game — a match
  9. race — a contest
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rock — music
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. race — the arms race
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. foot — a measure
  24. race — humankind

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