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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. last — to go on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. last — finally
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to click
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bark — to shout
  22. last — final
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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