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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. season — in sport
  9. hand — help
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cell — a phone
  17. season — of the year
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pound — a weight
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. cell — in biology
  24. straw — dry grass

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