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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. dip — to sink
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rest — a break
  17. hand — help
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. court — of law
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. calf — of the leg

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