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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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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. perch — the fish
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. capital — a city
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mark — a grade
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. capital — money
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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