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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. firm — steady
  3. court — of a king
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rest — a break
  8. court — of law
  9. rest — what's left
  10. court — for sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chest — of your body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. chest — of your body
  17. firm — a company
  18. mate — to breed
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. firm — decided
  22. chest — a box
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hide — animal skin

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