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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. band — a music group
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. game — a match
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — music
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rock — a stone
  14. band — a ring
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. game — wild animals
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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