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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. suit — clothes
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. can — a tin
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. suit — to fit
  16. roll — a list
  17. bass — low music
  18. suit — in cards
  19. march — the month
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — the fish

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