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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. snap — to click
  13. tube — a container
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tube — the underground
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. chair — a leader
  24. coach — a trainer

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