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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bark — to shout
  6. court — for sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lean — to bend
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. court — of law
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — thin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. court — of a king
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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