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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 120 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. object — a thing
  4. ball — a dance
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. hand — help
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. object — an aim
  21. hand — in cards
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. object — to protest
  24. foot — a measure

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