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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 · track · staff · shower · press · pit · straw · pound

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pit — a hole
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. track — a path
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pit — in a race
  11. shower — to wash
  12. track — a song
  13. staff — employees
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. shower — rain
  16. pound — a weight
  17. press — a publisher
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. track — to keep track
  21. press — to push
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. press — newspapers
  24. straw — a straw man

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