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

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bat — the animal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rest — what's left
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rest — a break
  10. cue — for pool
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — an untruth

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