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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — to breed
  6. court — of law
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rash — a series
  12. court — of a king
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mate — a friend
  19. court — for sport
  20. cold — an illness
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mate — a partner
  24. calf — of the leg

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