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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. last — to go on
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. key — in music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. last — final
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. key — for a lock
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bass — the fish
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. calf — of the leg

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