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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. prune — to trim
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. court — of a king
  21. bound — obliged
  22. prune — to trim
  23. court — of law
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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