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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. object — to protest
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. object — a thing
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. roll — a list
  20. rash — hasty
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. object — an aim
  24. sharp — exactly

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