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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — in sport
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kick — in football
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. net — after costs
  16. snap — to click
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. calf — a young animal

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