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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. tube — the underground
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bark — to shout
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. capital — a city
  21. tube — a container
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. capital — money
  24. bark — of a tree

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