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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. field — farmland
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stock — goods
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stock — shares
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. field — for sport
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. field — a subject
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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