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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. sharp — clever
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. staff — employees
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. court — of a king
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. charge — in control
  10. rest — what's left
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. content — happy
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rest — a break
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. content — the amount
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. court — for sport
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rest — what's left
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. staff — employees

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