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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 124 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. foot — a measure
  6. court — of a king
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. court — for sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. court — of law
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. clip — a video
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rest — a break
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. foot — the bottom

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