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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pitch — completely
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. spell — magic
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. spell — letters
  22. bank — for money
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pound — a weight

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