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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wound — an injury
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wound — an injury
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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