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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 120 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 · lash · suit · field · straw · staff · chest · bear

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. chest — a box
  3. suit — to fit
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. chest — of your body
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. suit — in cards
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. field — farmland
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bear — the animal
  16. suit — clothes
  17. staff — a stick
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. field — for sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. staff — employees

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