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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. club — for golf
  10. ground — a position
  11. bear — the animal
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — a group
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. toast — bread
  19. ground — crushed
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wound — an injury
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mine — for digging

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