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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. saw — the tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pitch — completely
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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