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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to click
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lean — thin
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rest — a break
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rest — what's left
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pound — a weight
  22. lean — to bend
  23. deal — an agreement
  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