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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bear — the animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bass — low music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — of a plant
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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