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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rest — a break
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. chair — a leader
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. track — a song
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. track — a path
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rest — what's left
  23. track — to keep track
  24. straw — dry grass

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