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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 · mate · ground · fan · chest · safe · pitch · straw

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ground — crushed
  6. chest — a box
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitch — completely
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ground — the earth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mate — to breed
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mate — a friend

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