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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. march — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tube — a container
  6. court — of a king
  7. march — the month
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. court — for sport
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. court — of law
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ball — a great time
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. march — the month
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. calf — of the leg

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