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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spring — of water
  4. season — of the year
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. staff — employees
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. spring — a coil
  14. tube — a container
  15. scale — in music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. staff — employees
  19. tube — the underground
  20. spring — the season
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. staff — a stick
  23. scale — size or range
  24. tube — in a tire

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