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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. roll — a cake
  12. kick — in football
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. court — for sport
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bark — to shout
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chest — a box
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. roll — a list
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — to handle

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