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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. content — happy
  22. cell — a phone
  23. content — the amount
  24. cell — in biology

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