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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.

Make a worksheet

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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spell — letters
  4. object — a thing
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ground — a position
  8. present — a gift
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. spell — magic
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. spell — a short time
  13. present — the time now
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. present — there
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ground — the earth
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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