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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mark — a grade
  8. tear — from crying
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tear — to rip
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. mark — a trace
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mine — an explosive

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