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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. ground — crushed
  8. key — for a lock
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pit — a hole
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. key — in music
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — thin
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lean — to bend

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