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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mug — a cup
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mine — for digging
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mug — to rob
  13. game — wild animals
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mug — a face
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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