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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. mug — a cup
  2. club — a group
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fall — the season
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fall — to drop
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — a leader
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. club — for golf
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. club — for dancing
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. key — for a lock
  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