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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — of law
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. court — of a king
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. content — the amount
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. content — happy
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. tear — from crying
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. court — for sport
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rest — a break
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rest — what's left

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