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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. club — for dancing
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. clip — a video
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. clip — to cut
  11. suit — in cards
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. suit — clothes
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. net — after costs
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. suit — to fit
  23. foot — a measure
  24. clip — for paper

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