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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. squash — the sport
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. drill — the tool
  6. squash — to crush
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. drill — army training
  10. game — wild animals
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. game — a match
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stand — to bear

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