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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 116 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cell — a phone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. tear — from crying
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pitch — completely
  23. tear — to rip
  24. cell — in a prison

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