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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 120 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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bore — to tire
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. hand — help
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. craft — boats

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