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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. club — for dancing
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. club — a group
  6. spring — the season
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — of water
  13. shower — to wash
  14. dip — to sink
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. kick — in football
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. shower — rain
  21. spring — a coil
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. club — for golf
  24. dip — a sauce

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