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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bank — of a river
  3. court — of a king
  4. ground — a position
  5. fall — the season
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ground — crushed
  13. drill — army training
  14. fall — to drop
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. ground — the earth
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. drill — the tool
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. drill — a practice

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