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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. march — music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chair — a leader
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. march — the month
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. march — the month
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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