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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cue — a signal
  10. can — a tin
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. kick — in football
  16. cue — for pool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. can — a tin
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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