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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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lean — thin
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. lean — to bend
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chip — to eat
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. drill — a practice
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. drill — the tool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. drill — army training
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chair — a leader
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lean — to rest against

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