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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rule — a law
  6. file — a document
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rule — government
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. file — a line of people
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. file — a tool
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wake — before a funeral

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