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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rash — a series
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fork — in a road
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fall — the season
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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