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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. shower — to wash
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. squash — to crush
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — employees
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. staff — a stick
  22. squash — the sport
  23. staff — employees
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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