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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fall — to drop
  4. tear — from crying
  5. roll — a list
  6. tear — from crying
  7. key — in music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — for a lock
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. key — the most important part
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. tear — to rip
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. roll — a cake
  21. fall — to drop
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. fall — the season
  24. calf — a young animal

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