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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bound — obliged
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. court — of law
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. field — a subject
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. bear — the animal
  15. court — for sport
  16. current — of water
  17. field — for sport
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. field — farmland
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. court — of a king
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. plane — in geometry

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