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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. board — a committee
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — to go on
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. board — to get on
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lie — to recline
  15. last — final
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. last — finally
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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