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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. press — a publisher
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stand — to bear
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. branch — a division
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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