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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. last — finally
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. present — there
  8. track — to keep track
  9. club — for golf
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. last — to go on
  13. present — a gift
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. last — final
  17. club — for dancing
  18. present — the time now
  19. track — a path
  20. shower — rain
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. shower — to wash
  23. club — a group
  24. track — a song

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