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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bound — tied together
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. bound — obliged
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. court — of law
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bound — certain
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. staff — employees
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. staff — employees
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. staff — a stick

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