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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. sharp — clever
  10. file — a document
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. straw — a straw man
  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