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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cap — of ice
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pop — soda
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. kick — in football
  12. pop — to visit
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cap — a lid
  15. court — of law
  16. cap — a hat
  17. court — of a king
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pop — music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. court — for sport
  24. kick — 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