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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitch — completely
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. squash — the sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. squash — to crush
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. calf — of the leg

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