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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 120 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. kick — in football
  7. chair — a leader
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. land — a country
  13. saw — the tool
  14. vault — a safe
  15. land — to come down
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. land — ground
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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