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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wax — to grow
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. shower — rain
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rest — a break

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