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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. present — a gift
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. present — the time now
  18. squash — the sport
  19. present — there
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pitcher — a jug

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