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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: calf · bore · bound · arm · key · bowl · court · lie

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bound — certain
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — for a lock
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bound — tied together
  21. key — in music
  22. court — for sport
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bore — to drill

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