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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 124 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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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. bay — a horse colour
  4. suit — in cards
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hand — help
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wake — a trail
  24. calf — a young 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