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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. squash — to crush
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. board — to get on
  12. spring — the season
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lean — thin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. board — a committee
  19. spring — a coil
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spring — of water
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lean — to bend
  24. safe — a strongbox

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