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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. perch — the fish
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pound — a weight
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. racket — a loud noise

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