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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. net — after costs
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. net — in sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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