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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rest — what's left
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spring — a coil
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rest — what's left
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. spring — of water
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. spring — the season
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rest — a break
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fine — all right
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — a penalty

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