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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cue — a hint
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. squash — to crush
  7. snap — to click
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cue — a signal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bulb — for light
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cue — for pool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bulb — for light
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. ball — a dance
  23. court — of law
  24. ball — a great time

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