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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. roll — a list
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bat — the animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stem — to come from
  24. calf — of the leg

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