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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wake — a trail
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mug — to rob
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mug — a face
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mug — a cup
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bark — to shout

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