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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. snap — to click
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. season — of the year
  8. present — the time now
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. present — a gift
  18. firm — decided
  19. present — there
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. calf — a young animal

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