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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — of law
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wind — moving air
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mug — a face
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. court — of a king
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. track — a song
  19. cue — for pool
  20. track — to keep track
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. track — a path
  24. court — for sport

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