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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. mark — a grade
  5. firm — decided
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. firm — steady
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. firm — a company
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. mark — a trace
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. net — in sport

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