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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. craft — boats
  5. rush — hurry
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. court — for sport
  16. pop — music
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — to cut
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pop — to visit

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