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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. face — part of the head
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rest — what's left
  7. face — to confront
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. court — for sport
  11. face — to point toward
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. swing — in golf
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. lean — to bend
  22. swing — music
  23. lean — thin
  24. court — of law

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