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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. object — to protest
  15. club — a group
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. snap — to click
  20. object — a thing
  21. club — for golf
  22. bat — the animal
  23. object — an aim
  24. club — for dancing

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