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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. court — of law
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bear — the animal
  10. court — for sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bear — the animal
  15. court — of a king
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — the most important part
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  24. temple — a place of worship

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