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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. scale — in music
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lie — to recline
  8. march — music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. suit — clothes
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. march — the month
  15. suit — to fit
  16. staff — a stick
  17. court — of a king
  18. march — the month
  19. scale — size or range
  20. court — for sport
  21. staff — employees
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  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