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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. shower — rain
  11. mug — to rob
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitch — completely
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wax — to grow
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mug — a face
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. calf — a young animal

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