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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. file — a line of people
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. file — a tool
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. file — a document
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. court — of law

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