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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. season — of the year
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. season — in sport
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cap — a hat
  16. squash — to crush
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bore — to tire

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