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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. staff — a stick
  3. root — of a plant
  4. content — the amount
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mate — to breed
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chest — a box
  17. mate — a partner
  18. staff — employees
  19. chest — of your body
  20. root — the cause
  21. content — happy
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. root — of a word
  24. staff — employees

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