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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. prune — to trim
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fall — to drop
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. ball — a great time
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. last — finally
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. last — final
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fall — the season
  21. ball — a dance
  22. last — to go on
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. coach — a trainer

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