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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lie — to recline
  4. squash — to crush
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. key — in music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. spell — a short time
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. key — for a lock
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. spell — letters
  21. key — the most important part
  22. band — a ring
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. band — a music group

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