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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cell — a phone
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. court — of a king
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. court — of law
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. firm — decided
  11. rush — hurry
  12. firm — a company
  13. foot — a measure
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cold — an illness
  20. court — for sport
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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