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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. saw — the tool
  8. track — a song
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wound — an injury
  14. snap — to click
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. firm — a company
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. firm — steady
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. firm — decided
  24. track — a path

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