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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. net — for catching
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. present — the time now
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. net — after costs
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lean — to bend
  17. present — a gift
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lean — thin
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. net — in sport

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