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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. rock — music
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mark — a trace
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mark — a grade
  10. march — the month
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. march — the month
  19. chair — a leader
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. march — music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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