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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. spell — magic
  3. mate — a partner
  4. spell — a short time
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mate — a friend
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. root — of a plant
  15. spell — letters
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. root — of a word
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. root — the cause

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