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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. foot — a measure
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. chest — of your body
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chest — a box
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. vault — a safe
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chest — of your body

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