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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bear — the animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. scale — in music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rest — a break
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pit — in a race
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. degree — temperature
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rest — what's left
  21. degree — an amount
  22. scale — size or range
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bear — to put up with

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