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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mate — a friend
  3. present — there
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. track — a song
  6. mate — a partner
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stand — to bear
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. kick — in football
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. track — a path
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. present — a gift
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mate — to breed
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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