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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. last — to go on
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. court — of a king
  5. last — final
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. last — finally
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mine — for digging
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. coach — a trainer

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