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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wake — a trail
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wind — moving air
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. deal — to handle
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. degree — temperature

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