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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. game — a match
  16. clip — to cut
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — wild animals
  21. clip — a video
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. clip — for paper

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