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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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. bank — for money
  3. file — a document
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. field — a subject
  6. cap — a lid
  7. file — a tool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bank — for money
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. field — farmland
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bear — the animal
  17. field — for sport
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. file — a line of people
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bear — the 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