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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lean — thin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lean — to bend
  18. chest — of your body
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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