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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. last — final
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. last — to go on
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wound — an injury
  13. last — finally
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mate — a friend
  20. saw — the tool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bowl — to roll

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