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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. roll — a list
  8. key — the most important part
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. key — in music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. shower — rain
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. shower — to wash
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bowl — a football final

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