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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fall — to drop
  7. kid — child
  8. roll — a cake
  9. kid — to tease
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fall — the season
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pass — a permit

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