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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mate — to breed
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wound — an injury
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. current — electric
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mark — a trace
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. deal — to handle

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