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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lean — thin
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cap — of ice
  9. track — to keep track
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. track — a path
  13. club — a group
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. club — for dancing
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cap — a lid
  22. track — a song
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. club — for golf

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