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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. field — farmland
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ground — a position
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. toast — bread
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. field — a subject
  19. ground — the earth
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. scale — size or range
  22. field — for sport
  23. scale — in music
  24. fall — the season

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