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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. suit — to fit
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. club — for dancing
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cold — an illness
  18. club — a group

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