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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pop — soda
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rock — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. file — a document
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pop — music
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bat — the animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. file — a tool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bat — for baseball

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