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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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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: lie · cabinet · wake · wind · calf · straw · shower · coach

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of 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. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. shower — rain
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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