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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. court — of law
  4. wind — moving air
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — for sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wind — moving air
  14. court — of a king
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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