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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. last — finally
  3. current — electric
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. club — a group
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. present — a gift
  10. club — for golf
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. present — the time now
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. last — final
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. present — there
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. club — for dancing
  24. last — to go on

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