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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. track — a song
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wake — a trail
  18. track — to keep track
  19. craft — boats
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fall — the season
  23. track — a path
  24. calf — a young animal

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