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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. craft — boats
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — employees
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. staff — employees
  23. branch — a division
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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