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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mark — a grade
  5. ground — a position
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hand — help
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ground — crushed
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. coach — a trainer

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