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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — to handle
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. plane — a tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. court — for sport
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rest — a break
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. court — of law
  19. bore — to tire
  20. court — of a king
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rest — what's left
  24. coach — a trainer

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