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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rest — a break
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rest — what's left
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — letters
  11. hand — in cards
  12. scale — size or range
  13. hand — help
  14. spell — a short time
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. spell — magic
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. scale — in music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. calf — of the leg

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