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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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. fall — the season
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fall — to drop
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. chest — a box
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ball — a dance
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitch — completely
  23. land — a country
  24. chest — of your body

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