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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 124 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. face — to confront
  4. bank — for money
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. face — to point toward
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. hand — help
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rest — a break
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bank — for money
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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