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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pop — soda
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pop — music
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. capital — money
  12. pitch — completely
  13. track — a path
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. vault — a safe
  17. track — a song
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pop — to visit
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. capital — a city
  24. lean — thin

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