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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. game — a match
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. track — a path
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. track — to keep track
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. track — a song
  24. game — wild animals

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