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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. chest — a box
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lean — thin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chest — of your body

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