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

Word bank: straw · firm · pitch · deal · temple · calf · lean · kid

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. kid — child
  3. deal — to handle
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. kid — to tease
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. firm — a company
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. firm — steady
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitch — completely
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. firm — decided
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. calf — a young animal

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