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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mate — a partner
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bound — certain
  6. pop — music
  7. staff — employees
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mate — a friend
  14. staff — employees
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mate — to breed
  22. sharp — clever
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mine — for digging

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