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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. present — a gift
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. staff — employees
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mate — a friend
  11. staff — employees
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. spring — the season
  14. present — the time now
  15. mate — a partner
  16. key — in music
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. spring — a coil
  19. staff — a stick
  20. present — there
  21. spring — of water
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mate — to breed

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