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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
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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: spell · chip · straw · mark · row · calf · drill · mouse

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. drill — a practice
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. row — to paddle
  10. spell — a short time
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. row — a line
  14. drill — army training
  15. mark — a grade
  16. spell — letters
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spell — magic
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. straw — dry grass

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