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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cue — a hint
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. game — wild animals
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. game — a match
  14. cue — for pool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cue — a signal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. straw — a straw man
  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