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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. net — after costs
  3. cap — a hat
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. spell — a short time
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. net — in sport
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bound — obliged
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. scale — size or range
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. scale — in music
  20. cap — of ice
  21. net — for catching
  22. bound — tied together
  23. kick — in football
  24. straw — dry grass

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