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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. squash — the sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. clip — a video
  5. chest — a box
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. suit — to fit
  11. march — the month
  12. clip — for paper
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pass — a permit

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