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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fall — the season
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rash — a series
  5. spring — of water
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. row — a line
  9. rash — hasty
  10. cell — a phone
  11. spring — the season
  12. row — to paddle
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rock — music
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fall — to drop
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. spring — a coil

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