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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · straw · object · kick · hide · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. kick — in football
  5. object — an aim
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. object — to protest
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. object — a thing
  18. cell — in biology

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