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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. tube — a container
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. object — to protest
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. object — an aim
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. object — a thing

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