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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. hand — help
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. hand — in cards
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. kick — in football
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bulb — for light
  24. chair — to sit on

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