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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — of law
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — to rob
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ground — a position
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. court — for sport
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. court — of a king
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mug — a face

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