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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. wake — a trail
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. court — of law
  8. ground — crushed
  9. kid — to tease
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. ground — a position
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. kid — child
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ball — a great time

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