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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lean — thin
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chest — of your body
  9. staff — a stick
  10. chest — of your body
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. staff — employees
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bulb — for light
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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