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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. object — to protest
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wound — an injury
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. prune — to trim
  14. object — an aim
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. object — a thing
  19. rash — a series
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. hide — to keep secret

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