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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 116 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. content — the amount
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. content — happy
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bound — certain
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bound — obliged
  15. game — a match
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bound — tied together
  18. craft — boats
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. kid — to tease

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