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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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. mouse — for a computer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rock — music
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wake — a trail
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. land — to come down
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spell — magic
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. spell — letters
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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