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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rock — music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. snap — to click
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bat — the animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chip — for betting
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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