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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. court — of a king
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — of law
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. charge — in control
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wound — an injury
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. charge — a price
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. court — for sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tear — from crying
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. calf — a young animal

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