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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kid — child
  6. file — a document
  7. fall — the season
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pit — in a race
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. file — a tool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. file — a line of people

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