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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. content — happy
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mark — a trace
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. content — the amount
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. squash — the sport

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