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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. race — a contest
  3. rush — hurry
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lie — to recline
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — a stone
  11. race — humankind
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kick — in football
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rock — music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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