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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. band — a ring
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wind — moving air
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. perch — the fish
  21. band — a music group
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wind — moving air
  24. prune — to trim

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