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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. saw — the tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — a line
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rash — a series
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. toast — bread

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