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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chair — a leader
  3. row — a line
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rash — hasty
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rash — a series
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. row — to paddle
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rash — on the skin

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