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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to sink
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box

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