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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — hasty
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rash — a series
  11. hand — in cards
  12. swing — music
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hand — help
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. swing — to play on

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