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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pop — soda
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stock — shares
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pop — music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. shower — rain
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pop — to visit

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