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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kid — child
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. court — for sport
  10. kid — to tease
  11. court — of law
  12. can — a tin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. can — a tin
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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