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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. tube — a container
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. lean — to bend
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. tube — the underground
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. court — for sport
  24. lean — thin

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