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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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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rest — what's left
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rest — what's left
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. chest — a box
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. perch — the fish
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rest — a break
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chest — of your body

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