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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · mug · track · calf · season · bowl · court · cold

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cold — not warm
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lie — to recline
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mug — a cup
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. season — of the year
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bowl — a football final

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