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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. kid — to tease
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lean — thin
  10. rest — a break
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mate — a partner
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rest — what's left
  24. calf — of the leg

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