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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rush — hurry
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rock — music
  9. branch — a division
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wind — to turn a key

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