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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: clip · suit · lean · straw · game · jam · calf · ball

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. ball — a dance
  10. suit — clothes
  11. game — a match
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. clip — a video
  17. ball — a great time
  18. clip — for paper
  19. suit — in cards
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. lean — thin
  23. game — wild animals
  24. clip — to cut

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