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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. club — a group
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ground — a position
  11. club — for golf
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. foot — a measure
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rest — a break
  23. craft — boats
  24. mine — belonging to me

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