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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. track — a song
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cell — in biology
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rest — what's left
  9. track — a path
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rest — a break
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cell — a phone
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. swing — music
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. swing — to play on

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