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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. spring — of water
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. face — to confront
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. face — to point toward
  17. spring — a coil
  18. face — part of the head
  19. court — of a king
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. spring — the season
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bear — the animal

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