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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chest — a box
  7. squash — to crush
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. plane — a tool
  10. object — to protest
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. firm — steady
  13. object — an aim
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. net — for catching
  16. squash — the sport
  17. net — in sport
  18. chest — of your body
  19. net — after costs
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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