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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. present — a gift
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. last — finally
  10. bulb — for light
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. tear — to rip
  15. present — the time now
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. present — there
  21. last — to go on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bay — a horse colour

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