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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. file — a line of people
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. face — part of the head
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. branch — a division
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. face — to confront
  24. ruler — a monarch

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