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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. drill — army training
  3. season — in sport
  4. net — in sport
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. drill — the tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. lean — to bend
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. drill — a practice
  15. net — for catching
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. staff — employees
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. staff — employees
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lean — thin
  24. season — of the year

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