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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. staff — employees
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. field — a subject
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. field — farmland
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fall — the season
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. field — for sport
  18. land — to come down
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — to drop

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