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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rash — a series
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. shower — to wash
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. deal — to handle
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rash — hasty
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. court — of a king
  16. shower — rain
  17. court — of law
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. craft — boats
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. court — for sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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