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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rest — what's left
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. court — of a king
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wax — to grow
  14. snap — to click
  15. court — of law
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lean — thin
  19. court — for sport
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rest — a break

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