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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. cell — in biology
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cell — a phone
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bulb — for light
  10. race — humankind
  11. bat — the animal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bat — in an idiom

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