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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. game — wild animals
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. present — there
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. present — a gift
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. present — the time now
  22. game — a match
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. calf — of the leg

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