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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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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. present — the time now
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. band — a ring
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lie — to recline
  12. court — of a king
  13. plane — a tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. sharp — clever
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. court — for sport
  19. band — a music group
  20. present — there
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. court — of law

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