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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mate — to breed
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chip — for betting
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. chip — to eat
  11. saw — the tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — a friend
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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