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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. march — the month
  3. lean — thin
  4. last — finally
  5. march — the month
  6. lean — to bend
  7. present — the time now
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. last — to go on
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. march — music
  13. present — there
  14. last — final
  15. rest — what's left
  16. present — a gift
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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