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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bound — certain
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. court — of law
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. sharp — clever
  9. craft — boats
  10. roll — a list
  11. court — of a king
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. roll — a cake
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. court — for sport
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. charge — in control
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. calf — a young animal

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