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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lean — thin
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fall — the season
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. court — of a king
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. court — of law
  17. content — happy
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bat — the animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. court — for sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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