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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pop — music
  7. wake — a trail
  8. court — for sport
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pop — to visit
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. kid — child
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pop — soda
  18. rash — a series
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rash — hasty
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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