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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. dip — to sink
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pit — a hole
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bound — certain
  13. ground — a position
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bound — tied together
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bowl — a football final

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